This post is a response to this this tweet from this twitter thread. However, more than likely, if Iâve linked you back here, the argument has become redundant to me, and eventually some point in this will have my stance.
So, I never said you had to agree with the ship, but you guys cannot keep throwing out heavy terms without fully understanding what they mean, and what they insinuate. Itâs slanderous and defamatory.Â
So while I perfectly understand your point, weâve been told and showm that Sesshomaru did not only NOT raise Rin in any capacity, but weâre shown that:Â
itâs Rinâs choice to follow himÂ
and toward the end of the journey, where she dies again, Sesshomaru regrets ever bringing her along because her life, up until then, was not treated as preciously as it shouldâve been. In fact, itâs not only arrogance on his part of his own power, but because truly, he does not help her in any real way UNLESS she calls out for his helpÂ
because Sesshormaruâs overall capacity to care for another person is not great at all. As simple as I could make it, he is selfish, but thatâs the point of his story. Thatâs why thereâs bigger meaning than romance in Kaguraâs death, Rinâs second death, losing his arm by the Tessaiga, and literally every plot point heâs given to humble him â which we learn by Rinâs second death, was STILL not enough even DESPITE everything. Thatâs his flaw until he learns Togaâs real intentions with the swords, where he wasnât given anything but the task to help Inuyasha.
So, besides knowing Rin as a child, explain to me where does the actual grooming take place? Or is that just a term being used because Rinâs only a child in your mind, and we just havenât gotten backstory yet?Â
Because beside those two important characterizations to provide context; Sesshomaru doesnât go out of his way to provide for Rin until the kimonos, which the idea of it doesnât get sullied because they ended up romantic. It can for personal opinion (which youâre free to have), but it doesnât because it can be explained with Kaede living humbly as a priestess, Rin literally having nothing coming to live in the village, his amends for always putting her life in danger, or just simple gifts with no obligation (which would make more sense since that was the nature of their companionship â never obligation but choice). Thereâs so many reasons before the conclusion of him expecting anything from her in return, especially any romantic or sexual interest in him.
Nonetheless, the interview tidbit of Sesshomaru struggling to pick out another kimono to match Rinâs likeliness is cute and get romanticized (which is normal if you ship them, even just as adults); but it also implies that he rarely sees her and that sheâs always aging/growing considerably from the last time he actually does visit. Meaning, in the those three years Kagome was gone and the following handful of years that she stayed, he didnât travel with her or keep in close contact (which makes sense if he and Kirinmaru were heading their underworld empires at the time).
(Nevertheless, if weâre going off that tidbit, then itâs Jaken that has to do the actual hunting and buying of fabrics LOL. Letâs be realistic, Sesshomaru is not going out of his way for menial things, even if itâs for Rin.)
Anyway, I feel like I donât need to explain what child grooming is since itâs said so much, and I will always completely understand CSA survivors who just donât like the idea of SessRin because Rin trusts Sesshomaru and now thereâs a strong possibility that theyâre romantically involved. Iâm never void of my empathy to force them to feel either way about a fictional ship.Â
I also understand the harm of promoting art that suggests any romance while they were traveling together â and trust me, I can guarantee you that the MAJORITY thinks itâs weird, so donât generalize everyone just because of select few; just as I wonât generalize people who donât like the ship as antiâs who are harassing/trolling strangers every day because they think itâs a personality trait.
But nonetheless, because itâs misused so much, all we ask is stop using such heavy terms to describe a relationship when thereâs plenty of evidence to disprove it. Child grooming is the act of creating an emotional bond with a child as an adult with the intention to abuse them, especially so, normalizing the idea of abuse so itâs seen as anything but.
Sesshomaru not only barely speaks to Rin despite traveling together, but he makes it no obligation to stick with him. Again, he doesnât even give her food; and by the time the kimonos become a thing, theyâre both leading separate lives.Â
The reason why shippers say itâs Rinâs choice is not because Rin is a child given the maturity to decide such things; they say that because Sesshomaru literally did not understand what her life meant, and because of his arrogance and ignorance, never goes out of his way to make important decisions concerning her life, which is the point of the âSesshomaru in the Underworldâ episode.Â
So, please tell me where the abuse (or even the slightest inkling of an intimate relationship) is when he barely has an interest besides âshe should live,â or âa child shouldnât have bruises and wounds,â when they first meet. In fact, where is the evidence of any abuse at all? Itâs alright for the ship to make you uncomfortable and for you to not like it, but do NOT use terms that do NOT apply, especially when they insinuate something heinous. Thatâs my only grief.
Furthermore, my entire thread is directed to those who still find use for Rinâs ADULT body (that would be existing during Yashahime) and go out of their way to make even WORST insinuations with unsupported theories â such as killing her, trying to justify r*pe just because âitâs not her soulâ in her body, etc etc. If thatâs not what you got from that, but instead only paid attention to âSessRin hate,â then thatâs on you.
